John Kim 
For the last three years, Eric Avar and Kobe Bryant have defied the conventions of the basketball footwear design and put forth one of the most unique spans of signature sneaker history – a low-cut, performance shoe designed after soccer, but made for basketball. Strengthened by tensile Flywire fibers, stabilized by proper outriggers, and cushioned with Zoom Air, the Nike Zoom Kobe VII was the perfect technical basketball shoe with an imperfect design. No visible ankle support and a curb weight rivaling that of a long-distance running sneaker was one of the more questionable features in the Zoom Kobe V, but since then, any doubts have been wiped out as the Zoom Kobe V, VI, and VII have become on of the most depended-upon and widely utilized performance basketball shoes in history. Taking things a step further, Nike Basketball will debut an ‘Elite’ edition of the Nike Zoom Kobe VII – just think of the base-model of the Zoom Kobe VII as a luxury car, and the Elite as a fully-loaded package complete with visual and mechanical upgrades. The Elite ride gives you the unparalleled comfort of Full-length Zoom, the fearless stability of a carbon-fiber heel counter, and a re-constituted snakeskin upper composed of hexagonal scales, allowing you to look, feel, and perform great like never before. Check out this detailed gallery of the Nike Zoom Kobe VII Elite in the ‘Away’ colorway and let us know if you like these better than the ‘Home’ after you compare both.
Nike Zoom Kobe VII Elite
Black/Metallic Gold-Dark Grey
511371-001
04/20/12
$200
